Minnie  Albrights  Experience: 


OR, 


A  FRIENDLY  WARNING  TO  YOUNG  LADIES 
FORMING  ACQUAINTANCE  WITH 
STRANGERS. 


A    TRUE  STORY. 


BOSTON  : 

Press  of  Cornhill  Printing  Company. 
1895. 


[ 

Digitized  by 

the  Internet  Archive 

in  2014 

https://archive.org/details/minniealbrightse01  kati 


Minnie  Albright's  Experience: 


A  FRIENDLY  WARNING  TO  YOUNG  LADIES 
FORMING  ACQUAINTANCE  WITH 
STRANGERS. 


A    TRUE  STORY 


BOSTON  : 

Press  of  Cornhill  Printing  Company. 
1895. 


7 


MINNIE  ALBRIGHT'S  EXPERIENCE. 


iT  was  one  stormy  Saturday  afternoon,  and 
I  Aunt  Katie  was  reposing  in  her  easy 
chair  before  the  grate  ;  the  children  were 
unable  to  go  out,  on  account  of  the  violence  of  the 
storm,  and  Ethel,  Mabel,  and  Grace  drew 
their  chairs  about  the  fire,  and  all  with  one  accord 
requested  their  aunt  to  tell  them  a  story. 

"  A  story,  my  clear  children  !  Pray  what  shall 
I  tell  ?" 

"Oh,  something  which  happened  in  your  own 
life,"  exclaimed  Ethel. 

"My  own  life!  Why,  my  own  life  has  been 
very  uneventful  !  But  I  will  tell  you  a  true  story 
of  a  very  bitter  experience  which  happened  to  a 
dear  friend  of  mine. 

"  It  was  a  beautiful  day  in  September  when 
Minnie  Albright  left  her  home  —  her  beautiful 
home! — in  a  charming  ancient  city  by  the  sea, 
where  she  had  resided  all  her  life;  but,  reverses 
having  occurred,  she  was  now  obliged  to  earn  her 


4 


minxie  Albright's  experience. 


" Her  poor  mother  had  the  misfortune  to  lose 
all  her  property- — sixty  thousand  dollars  — 
through  the  rascality  of  a  well-known  Boston  law- 
yer, who,  having  became  deeply  involved  in  debt 
on  account  of  extravagant  living,  had  skipped 
over  the  line  to  Canada  with  all  Mrs.  A.'s  prop- 
erty, together  with  the  fortunes  of  many  other 
victims,  most  of  whom  were  residents  of  Boston. 

"As  the  attorney's  wife  was  an  intimate  friend 
of  Mrs.  A.'s,  she  placed  the  highest  confidence  in 
his  integrity.  Why,  even  the  Bostonians  placed 
him  as  candidate  for  mayor  (but,  fortunately  for 
Boston,  he  got  defeated),  so  that  his  downfall  was 
a  complete  surprise  to  everyone.  And  Minnie, 
whose  every  wish  had  hitherto  been  gratified, 
didn't  realize  how  hard  it  was  to  go  out  into  the 
world  and  earn  her  own  living. 

"Her  sister,  who  resided  in  the  charming  State 
of  Pennsylvania,  coming  on  that  summer  to  visit 
her  mother,  had  offered  Minnie  a  home  with  her, 
and  Minnie's  departure  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Hast- 
ings, from  her  once  happy  New  England  home  is 
where  my  story  begins. 

"It  took  nearly  two  hours  for  the  train  to  reach 
Boston,  and  after  waiting  an  hour  at  the  Park 
Square  station  they  took  the  Pennsylvania  train 
for  Mrs.  Hastings'  home.     One  night  was  spent 


minnie  Albright's  experience. 


5 


on  the  train,  and  our  travelers  reached  their  des- 
tination the  following  morning  at  six  o'clock. 

"Upon  their  arrival  at  Hillside  two  of  Mrs. 
Hastings'  pupils,  Annie  Moore  and  Rosie  White, 
were  at  the  station  to  meet  them.  Hillside  was  a 
beautiful  village,  built  on  the  side  of  a  mountain 
and  surrounded  by  mountains,  valleys,  and  nat- 
ural scenery  on  every  side. 

"  As  Mrs.  Hastings'  residence  had  been  closed 
during  her  journey  East  she  and  Minnie  were  in- 
vited to  breakfast  with  their  next-door  neighbors, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  White.  After  the  meal  was  fin- 
ished our  travelers  hastened  home  to  put  the 
house  in  order,  as  all  the  furniture  and  carpets 
had  been  carefully  packed  away  and  it  would  re- 
quire about  a  week  to  put  the  house  in  perfect 
order. 

"Mrs.  Hastings  had  discharged  her  girl,  in 
order  that  Minnie  might  learn  to  assist  her  about 
the  housework  ;  but,  as  Minnie  had  always  been 
accustomed  to  servants  and  had  never  been  per- 
mitted to  assist  in  tiie  kitchen  while  at  home,  it 
was  difficult  for  the  poor  girl  to  get  interested  in 
work  which  she  had  always  been  taught  to  avoid, 
so  it  naturally  came  very  hard  to  her  at  first. 

"  After  the  carpets  were  put  down,  the  furni- 
ture properly  arranged,  the  paintings  hung,  and 


6 


minnie  Albright's  experience. 


the  bric-a-brac  put  in  order,  the  house  presented 
a  very  tasty  appearance. 

"Since  Minnie's  reverse  of  fortune  she  knew 
how  important  it  was  to  become  a  thorough  house- 
keeper ;  but,  as  I  stated  before,  being  entirely 
unaccustomed  to  it,  it  was  therefore  almost  im- 
possible for  her  to  become  interested  in  it,  and,  as 
everything  was  new  and  strange  to  her,  she  pre- 
ferred long  walks,  and  visiting  surrounding  towns, 
to  the  monotony  of  domestic  life.  Also,  being  pos- 
sessed of  a  lively,  happy  disposition,  she  soon 
made  many  warm  friends  among  the  neighbors. 

"  One  beautiful  day  in  the  early  part  of  Octo- 
ber she  went  to  a  large  adjoining  city,  to  attend 
the  Grand  Army  Reunion.  The  streets  were 
crowded,  the  houses  gaily  decorated,  and  the  grand 
procession,  enlivened  by  many  bands,  made  the 
day  extremely  lively  ;  but,  when  Minnie  arrived 
home  that  evening,  Mrs.  Hastings  and  her  son 
Francis  (who  had  recently  returned  home  from 
his  vacation)  both  greeted  the  girl  with  indigna- 
tion, for  not  staying  at  home  to  assist  about 
the  work,  instead  of  going  off  for  pleasure.  How- 
ever, after  repeated  failures,  Mrs.  Hastings  pro- 
cured a  popular  book  for  Minnie  to  canvass,  and  in 
this  occupation  she  made  a  great  success  ;  so  it 
was   finally   decided   that   Minnie   should  assist 


minxie  Albright's  experience. 


7 


about  the  work  mornings  and  canvass  afternoons. 

"Francis,  being  a  University  student,  felt  his 
superiority,  and  felt  greatly  humiliated  to  think 
Aunt  Minnie  should  go  out  canvassing;  so,  with 
the  neglect  of  early  domestic  training  and  the 
disgrace  of  being  a  canvasser,  poor  Minnie  soon 
found  herself  very  unpopular  with  her  fastidious 
sister  and  her  son  Francis. 

"  One  evening,  when  Minnie  returned  home 
weary  and  tired  from  her  work,  Francis  flew  at 
the  poor  girl  in  great  anger,  saying,  'What  right 
have  you  to  be  publishing  our  names  all  over 
Hillside?  Didn't  I  charge  you  to  tell  no  one 
where  you  are  stopping?'  —  and  this  outburst  of 
passion  was  caused  simply  by  Minnie's  informing 
some  persons  whom  she  had  met  while  canvass- 
ing, and  who  had  questioned  her,  that  she  was 
stopping  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Hastings.  Now 
Mrs.  Hastings,  being  a  widow,  depended  solely 
upon  her  daughter's  earnings  for  support  ;  and,  as 
the  poor  girl  played  all  over  this  broad  land,  to 
raise  money  enough  to  support  her  mother, 
brother  Francis,  and  herself,  she  felt  she  had 
enough  to  do  without  having  to  support  Aunt 
Minnie.  But  Minnie  was  proud,  ambitious,  and  a 
successful  canvasser,  and  as  she  paid  her  board 
regularly  every  week,  and  bought  many  useful  arti- 


8 


minnie  Albright's  experience. 


cles  for  the  house,  she  thought  it  decidedly  mean 
and  unjust  to  be  constantly  taunted  with  living  off 
Violet's  charity. 

"  Away  among  strangers,  her  lovely  home,  kind 
mother,  and  dearest  friends  hundreds  of  miles 
away,  together  with  these  constant  taunts  from 
Francis  and  his  mother  (all  on  account  of  her  nat- 
ural honesty  and  lack  of  domestic  tastes),  made 
the  poor  girl  nearly  beside  herself  with  grief. 
One  day,  in  a  fit  of  desperation  brought  on  by 
this  continual  fault-finding,  Minnie  sent  for  a 
matrimonial  paper  ;  for,  being  of  a  romantic,  trust- 
ing nature,  she  felt  the  need  of  a  home  and  some- 
one to  love  and  care  for  her,  in  case  she  outlived 
her  mother,  who  was  already  very  aged. 

"  Unfortunately  the  paper  came,  full  of  adver- 
tisements from  every  State  in  the  Union. 
Finally  she  decided  to  answer  one,  which  read  as 
follows : 

"'New  Jersey.  —  Widower  38,  5  feet  3,  weight 
115,  light  brown  hair,  blue  eyes,  lover  of  home, 
teetotaler,  member  of  I.  O.  of  G.  T.,  desires  to 
correspond  with  home-loving  ladies  of  suitable 
age,  who  are  not  flirts.  Beauty  or  wealth  not 
necessary.     Object  marriage.' 

"  So  poor  Minnie  imprudently  answered  the 
above  advertisement,  together  with  a  few  others ; 


minnte  Albright's  experience. 


9 


but,  after  receiving  replies  from  them,  decided  to 
only  correspond  with  the  New  Jersey  man. 

"He  represented  himself  in  glowing  terms; 
said  he  was  one  of  the  most  popular  men  where 
he  lived,  an  ardent  Christian  worker  in  the  M.  E. 
church,  and  strictly  temperate.  He  professed  to 
be  delighted  with  Minnie's  letters  (which  he  ans- 
wered promptly),  and  expressed  great  desire  to 
see  her  and  get  acquainted  personally. 

"After  corresponding  one  month  it  was  decided 
for  Minnie  to  meet  Mr.  Larkell  in  the  parlors  of 
the  leading  hotel  in  Hillside,  'The  Metropolitan.' 
The  interview  was  to  take  place  the  only  clay  Mr. 
L.  could  leave  his  business,  which  was  Saturday  ; 
the  hour  set  was  5  P.  M. 

"  As  Minnie  had  been  busy  all  that  day,  can- 
vassing in  a  neighboring  city,  she  was  obliged  to 
hurry  in  order  to  reach  Hillside  in  season  to  meet 
her  prospective  lover  at  the  time  appointed. 
Upon  her  arrival  at  the  hotel  Mr.  L.  wasn't 
there  ;  but,  upon  searching  the  hotel  register,  she 
read  the  following:  'Walter  Larkell,  Somerville, 
N.  J.'  So  then  she  was  satisfied  that  Walter  was 
in  Hillside  and  couldn't  be  far  from  the  dear  girl 
he  was  so  anxious  to  meet. 

"Minnie  was  to  wear  a  blue  dress,  plush  cloak, 
and  blue  velvet  toque  ;  while  Walter  was  to  carry 


io  minnie  Albright's  experience. 

a  handkerchief  in  hand,  as  a  mark  of  recognition. 

"  In  a  few  moments  a  little  man  with  a  min- 
isterial appearance  entered  the  room.  He  wore 
glasses,  had  on  a  swallow-tail  coat,  white  neck- 
tie, kid  gloves,  and  also  wore  a  tall  hat  ;  in  appear- 
ance he  was  a  gentleman  born  and  bred.  The 
little  man  walked  up  to  Minnie,  put  out  his  band, 
and  asked,  <  Is  this  Miss  Albright?' 

"After  exchanging  a  few  words  they  took  a  little 
walk  about  the  village.  They  strolled  into  Mag- 
nolia Park,  sat  down  on  one  of  the  seats,  and  were 
soon  lost  in  conversation.  Walter,  having  trav- 
eled extensively,  soon  entertained  Minnie  with  a 
long  and  brilliant  account  of  his  adventurous 
life.  After  spending  a  pleasant  hour  together  they 
decided  to  meet  the  following  morning,  at  the 
beautiful  Memorial  Church,  East  Hillside. 

"  It  was  a  charming  Sabbath,  and  Walter  met 
Minnie  promptly  at  the  church.  After  the 
service  was  over  the  lovers  took  a  stroll  through 
the  University  grounds  ;  then,  after  accompanying 
Minnie  home,  Walter  returned  to  the  hotel  and 
decided  to  meet  Minnie  after  dinner,  at  her  sister's. 
After  Walter's  return  from  dinner  the  lovers  en- 
joyed a  pleasant  hour  at  Mrs.  Hastings';  then  they 
took  a  delightful  drive,  through  the  beautiful  hills 
and  valleys,  to  a  large  manufacturing  city,  a  few 
miles  from  Hillside. 


minnie  Albright's  experience. 


"  While  returning  home  Walter  appeared  to  be 
very  happy.  He  said  to  Minnie,  -  Will  you  be 
ray  little  wife?  I  will  come  on  and  marry  you  any 
day  you  appoint.' 

"This  sudden  proposal  so  surprised  Minnie  that 
she  hardly  knew  what  to  answer  ;  but  Walter  was 
so  much  in  earnest  that,  when  she  considered  her 
mother's  great  age  and  her  own  need  of  a  home, 
she  said  to  him,  'You  come  to  Hillside  on  Saturday, 
March  24th,  and  I  will  marry  you  Easter  Monday, 
March  26th.' 

"The  newly  engaged  pair  spent  the  evening  at 
Mrs.  Hastings'.  At  ten  o'clock  Walter  bade  his 
fiancee  a  most  affectionate  farewell,  saying,  'In 
eight  weeks,  my  darling,  I  shall  come  here  to  make 
you  my  bride,  and  I  will  marry  you  on  the  morning 
of  March  26th,  and  will  take  you  with  me  to  reside 
in  Somerville.' 

"  After  Walter's  departure  Minnie  worried  a 
great  deal  about  her  hasty  engagment.  She  then 
began  to  realize  that  they  were  utter  strangers  to 
each  other,  and  felt  it  was  her  duty  to  know  who  this 
Larkell  really  was.  Sometimes  she  thought  he 
might  be  only  joking  ;  but,  when  a  diamond  engage- 
ment ring  came,  and  also  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Hastings 
requesting  permission  to  marry  her  sister,  she  be- 
gan to  think  he  must  be  serious. 


12 


minnie  Albright's  experience. 


"  Poor  Minnie  canvassed  as  long  as  possible, 
dreading  to  many  this  stranger.  She  would  have 
gone  to  Somerville  to  see  his  landlady,  but  felt 
she  couldn't  afford  to  take  the  trip.  Mrs.  Hast- 
ings absolutely  refused  to  enquire  about  Larkell. 
She  even  refused  Larkell  permission  to  write  to 
Minnie's  mother  for  her  daughter's  hand  in  mar- 
riage, saying,  '  I  take  the  place  of  a  mother,  while 
Minnie  is  with  me.' 

"She  wouldn't  allow  Minnie  to  write  to  her 
mother  that  she  was  going  to  marry,  and  threw  a 
damper  on  all  Minnie's  efforts  to  find  out  about 
her  future  husband.  She  even  hid  the  books 
Minnie  carried  out  to  take  orders  with,  invited 
whom  she  chose  to  the  wedding,  and  refused  to 
invite  some  of  Minnie's  dearest  friends  and 
relatives. 

"Mrs.  Hastings  hurried  up  the  approaching 
wedding,  seemed  delighted  to  think  it  was  coming 
off,  and  called  Minnie  the  most  indifferent  bride 
she  ever  kjiew,  saying,  '  The  idea  of  calling  your 
prospective  husband  "Mr.  What-you-call-him," 
instead  of  Mr.  Larkell  !' 

"  Three  weeks  before  the  wedding  Minnie  and 
Mrs.  H.  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  an 
elaborate  wedding  outfit  was  obtained.  Cards 
were  sent  out,  and  preparations  were  made  for  a 
grand  wedding. 


minnie  Albright's  experience. 


»3 


"  Mrs.  Hastings  had  written  Minnie's  mother  a 
glowing  description  of  her  future  son-in-law,  say- 
ing, 'It  was  the  grand  chance  of  Minnie's  life,' 
and  also  requesting  all  the  money  belonging  to 
Minnie  to  be  removed  from  the  savings  bank  and 
sent  on  to  Hillside  at  once,  in  order  that  Minnie 
might  defray  the  wedding  expenses. 

"On  Saturday  morning,  March  24th,  Walter 
left  Somerville,  and  reached  Mrs.  Hastings'  at 
10.30  A.  M,  Easter  Sunday  was  stormy,  but 
that  didn't  prevent  the  lovers  from  attending 
morning  service  at  the  'Church  of  the  Nativity.' 
The  following  morning  the  sun  rose  clear  and 
beautiful.  At  8.30  A.  M.  Minnie  and  Walter 
were  united  in  the  holy  bands  of  matrimony, 
beneath  a  floral  canopy,  in  the  handsome  parlors 
of  Mrs.  Hastings,  After  the  guests  had  partaken 
of  the  wedding  breakfast,  and  congratulations  had 
been  exchanged,  the  newly  married  pair  were 
driven  down  to  the  station,  where  they  took  the 
nine  o'clock  train  for  Somerville.  During  the 
journey  Minnie  noticed  Walter's  manner  towards 
her  had  changed.  The  poor  girl  began  to  think 
he  was  the  most  indifferent  bridegroom  she  had 
ever  seen. 

"  That  morning  Mrs.  H.  had  said,  'Minnie,  I 
suppose  you  will  ride  in  the  bridal  car.'    But,  in 


14  minnie  Albright's  experience. 


lieu  of  a  bridal  car,  they  rode  in  a  passenger  car  ; 
and  while  waiting  at  Monmouth  Junction,  to 
exchange  cars,  Minnie  hardly  dared  approach 
Walter  on  account  of  his  freezing  manners. 

"Now  Larkell,  being  Assistant  Superintendent 
of  the  Metropolitan  Insurance  Company  of  Somer- 
ville,  drew  a  handsome  weekly  salary. 

"  In  the  course  of  their  journey  Walter  consulted 
Minnie  as  to  what  they  had  better  do  —  ride  in  a 
carriage,  or  walk  to  their  future  home,  when  the 
train  reached  Somerville.  Now  as  all  the  brides 
she  had  ever  known  were  always  driven  from  the 
station  to  their  future  home,  Minnie,  being  some- 
what surprised  at  the  question,  failed  to  make  a 
definite  reply  ;  but  when  the  train  arrived  at  the 
station  Walter  decided  to  walk,  as  he  wished  to 
stop  at  'the  insurance  office,'  as  that  was  on 
their  way  to  his  boarding-house.  Upon  their 
arrival  at  the  office  Minnie  was  surprised  to  find  it 
was  a  small,  dirty  room  ;  beneath  which  was  a 
drinking-saloon,  in  which  some  men  were  engaged 
in  drunken  revelry. 

"  Minnie  expected  W'alter  would  take  his  bride 
to  board  at  a  first-class  house  ;  but,  instead  of  a 
fine  house,  he  conducted  her  to  a  small  two-story 
one.  A  great,  coarse  Irishwoman  answered  the 
bell,  and  bride  and  groom  were  ushered  into  a 


minxie  Albright's  experience. 


[5 


low-studded  room — it  was  the  parlor!  The 
carpet  was  ragged,  furniture  broken  ;  three  dirty, 
ragged  children  buns:  about  their  mother,  and  all 
stared  at  the  bride  as  if  they  had  never  seen  one 
before. 

"  In  a  few  moments  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Larkell  were 
invited  out  to  dinner.  The  dining-room  was 
minus  a  carpet,  furniture  falling  apart,  curtains 
torn,  and  no  table  linen  was  used.  Bride  and 
groom  sat  down  to  an  oyster  stew,  composed 
mostly  of  water,  one  or  two  oysters  (for  an  apol- 
ogy), and  broken  crackers. 

"  To  this  abode  Larkell  brought  his  bride,  to  go 
to  housekeeping  ;  as  he  had  engaged  three  rooms 
for  that  purpose  of  Mrs.  Leary.  His  insurance 
office  he  had  removed  to  the  second  floor  of  this  fine 
mansion  ;  back  of  it  was  the  bedroom,  and  then 
the  kitchen.  Imagine  Minnie's  chagrin,  to 
keep  rooms  in  such  an  abode  as  this! 

"Minnie  had  brought  three  trunks  of  valuable 
articles  from  Hillside  —  articles  which  she  had 
carried  there  from  her  dear  New  England  home. 
Her  wardrobe  consisted  of  several  handsome  suits, 
with  everything  to  compare.  The  morning  after 
their  arrival  Minnie  wore  a  handsome  cardinal 
tea-o'own.  trimmed  with  black  lace  and  red  satin 
ribbon.     Then    Walter    began    to    assume  his 


16         minnie  Albright's  experience. 

authority.  His  first  greeting  was  —  'Pet,  you 
need  something  practical  to  wear;  you  want  some 
calico  wrappers.'  Some  calico  skirts  and  shirt 
waists  were  produced,  and  Minnie  was  expected 
to  prepare  the  breakfast  and  do  everything  as  well 
as  an  old  experienced  housewife. 

"Before  marriage  Walter  promised  to  hire  a 
girl,  and  to  give  Minnie  his  money  to  take  care 
off ;  but  after  marriage  she  soon  found  he  mar- 
ried her  to  do  his  work.  Poor  Minnie  tried  her 
best  to  excel  as  a  housekeeper ;  but,  not  being 
used  to  it,  she  was  very  slow  about  it.  Mrs. 
Leary,  being  a  kind-hearted  woman,  often  sent  up 
food  ready  for  the  table,  and  also  came  upstairs 
quite  often  to  help  'poor  Mrs.  Larkell.' 

"A  week  after  the  wedding  Walter's  brother 
Frank  came  to  board  with  them,  and  Minnie  had 
a  hard  time  endeavoring  to  please  these  two  men, 
who  were  very  impatient  and  unreasonable.  They 
would  say,  'Any  woman  can  make  a  first-class 
housekeeper,  after  being  shown  once  or  twice.' 

"Walter  and  Frank  would  take  long  tramps 
into  the  country,  to  get  people's  lives  insured, 
and  Minnie  never  knew  when  they  would  be 
home  to  meals.  Minnie  arose  every  morning  at 
five  o'clock,  and  prepared  them  a  nice  breakfast 
while  they  were  in  bed  reading  five-cent  '  blood 
and  thunder '  stories. 


mtnnie  Albright's  experience. 


"Finally  the  Larkells  left  Mrs.  Leary's,  and 
hired  five  rooms  in  a  tenement  house  ;  while  there, 
Walter  and  Frarik  were  more  tyrannical  than 
ever.  Walter  provided  nothing  for  the  table  but 
baker's  bread,  salt  mackerel,  salt  pork,  and  pota- 
toes ;  no  cakes,  pies,  fruits,  or  luxuries  Minnie 
was  accustomed  to,  being  allowed.  The  balance 
of  Minnie's  property  was  used  to  furnish  the  house 
with  ;  and,  as  Walter  and  Frank  never  gave  her 
a  cent  of  money,  her  case  was  indeed  a  sad  one. 

"Walter  grew  worse  every  day.  Finally  he 
refused  to  provide  wood  for  the  fire,  or  food  for 
the  table.  One  morning  poor  Minnie  took  the 
coffee-pot  in  to  one  of  the  neighbors,  to  get  some 
coffee  boiled,  as  she  was  longino;  for  a  good  meal. 
Kind  neighbors,  hearing  of  the  case,  invited 
Minnie  to  eat  with  them.  No  sympathy  was  felt 
for  Larkell  or  his  brother  —  they  proved  dissi- 
pated in  every  way.  They  bought  their  meals 
out,  never  caring  whether  Minnie  was  provided 
for. 

"  After  enduring  insults  and  abuse  from  these 
villains  for  over  two  months,  Minnie  decided  it 
wasn't  safe  to  keep  house  for  them  any  longer. 
One  fine  June  morning  Walter  and  Frank  went 
to  Red  Bank  to  visit  their  parents.  As  Minnie 
had   never  been  invited  to   visit  her  husband's 


1 8         minnie  Albright's  experience. 

family,  being  left  alone  in  the  bouse,  she  knew 
that  now  was  her  chance  for  escape.  Accord- 
ingly a  teamster  was  engaged,,  who  carried  her 
things  back  to  Mrs.  Leary's,  who  had  befriended 
her  in  trouble,  and  who  had  offered  her  a  home  if 
she  had  to  leave  Larkell.  Being  a  stranger  in 
the  place  she  knew  nowhere  else  to  go. 

"  Soon  after  Minnie's  return  to  Mrs.  Leary's 
she  was  taken  seriously  ill.  A  week  before  her 
illness  Walter  left  town  ;  being  drummed  out  of 
Somerville  by  its  inhabitants,  for  non-support  and 
abuse  of  his  young  wife.  Minnie  was  obliged  to 
get  off  a  sick  bed,  before  she  had  sufficiently 
recovered  her  strength,  in  order  to  raise  means  to 
pay  her  board  and  other  expenses. 

"  After  leaving  Larkell  Minnie  soon  found  he 
had  married  her  under  false  pretenses.  He  had 
always  represented  himself  as  a  widower,  and  be- 
fore marriage  said,  '  My  poor  wife  died  of  pneu- 
monia twelve  years  ago  ;  it  nearly  broke  my  heart 
to  lose  her.  My  daughter  Maud  has  been  living 
at  Seaside,  with  her  uncle  and  aunt,  since  my 
wife's  death.  I  lost  my  little  boy  —  he  fell  from 
a  swing  and  broke  his  back,  shortly  before  his 
mother  died.' 

"Imagine  Minnie's  surprise  when  she  was  in- 
formed on  the  street,  one  day,  that  Larkell's  wife 


Minnie  Albright's  experience. 


19 


was  alive  and  had  married  again  ;  that  Maud  lived 
with  her  mother,  and  that  they  resided  at  Seaside. 

"Hearing  a  'Grand  Excursion  '  was  going  from 
Somerville  to  Seaside  caused  Minnie  to  decide  to 
go  with  the  party,  and  find  out  if  these  reports 
were  really  true.  So  the  morning  of  July  14th, 
Minnie,  Mrs.  Leary,  and  the  children,  all  went 
down  to  Seaside  on  the  excursion  steamer  'Daisy 
Bell.'  After  a  sail  of  several  hours  the  boat 
landed  at  Seaside.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  party 
Minnie  inquired  for  Mrs.  Sherman  (which  she  had 
ascertained  was  the  name  of  Larkell's  former 
wife)  ;  and,  all  the  inhabitants  of  such  a  resort 
being  acquainted,  Minnie  experienced  no  difficulty 
in  finding  Mrs.  Sherman. 

"A  woman  who  kept  a  candy  store  informed 
Minnie  that  two  brothers  named  Sherman,  who 
let  boats,  had  a  brother  George  who  married 
Larkell's  wife.  Upon  this  information  our  party 
called  on  the  '  Sherman  Bros.,'  who  received  them 
cordially  and  corroborated  the  woman's  statement. 
They  said,  '  Our  brother  George  married  Walter 
Larkell's  wife.'  And  when  Minnie  was  intro- 
duced to  them  as  Walter's  present  wife  they 
seemed  perfectly  astonished.  They  also  informed 
their  visitors  that  the  wagonette  which  was  stand- 
ing in  sight  would  soon  pass  their  brother's  door, 


20         minnie  Albright's  experience. 


and  that  they  (the  visitors)  had  better  get  in  it, 
and  call  on  their  brother's  wife. 

"  Upon  this  suggestion  Minnie,  Mrs.  Leary, 
and  the  children  entered  the  wagonette,  and  were 
driven  up  to  a  small,  unpainted  fish-hut,  contain- 
ing only  two  rooms — and  this  was  the  abode  of 
the  former  Mrs.  Larkell  !  The  driver  alighted, 
entered  the  mansion,  and  introduced  Mrs.  Sher- 
man to  her  visitors.  Mrs.  S.  was  a  poor,  untidy 
woman  ;  but  she  possessed  a  warm  heart,  and 
received  her  visitors  most  cordially.  She  seemed 
pleased  to  meet  her  former  husband's  present 
wife,  and  said,  'Is  this  Minnie  Albright?  I  knew 
Walter  was  married  again.  I  saw  one  of  the 
wedding  cards,  and  have  always  wanted  to  see 
you.'  She  then  introduced  Minnie  to  her  present 
husband,  who,  like  his  brothers,  was  astonished 
that  such  a  lady  as  Minnie  should  marry  Walter 
Larkell. 

"Minnie  said  to  Mrs.  S.,  'Walter  informed  me 
you  were  dead.' 

"'Oh!  I  am  dead  to  him.  I  have  been  di- 
vorced from  him  twelve  years'.  Pointing  to  some 
children  in  the  garden,  she  added,  'Those  four 
boys  are  children  of  my  second  marriage;  and 
that  little  girl  is  Maud,  Walter's  child' — and 
poor  Maud,  in  ragged  dress,  bare  feet,  and  un- 


mtnnie  Albright's  experience. 


combed  hair,  gazed  at  Minnie  with  a  vacant  stare. 

"Then  Mrs.  S.  took  her  successor  by  the  hand, 
and  led  her  to  a  very  pretty  cottage,  the  home  of 
her  brother,  Charles  Green.  He  was  husband  to 
Walter's  youngest  sister  (formerly  Lizzie  Lark  ell). 
As  Walter's  mother  was  there  on  a  visit  from 
Red  Bank,  Minnie  had  an  opportunity  to  see  her 
mother-in-law.  After  Minnie  had  been  intro- 
duced to  the  family  they  all  seemed  delighted  to 
see  her.  Walter  was  the  image  of  his  mother 
(she  was  a  tiny  woman,  only  weighing  eighty 
pounds),  while  Frank  and  Lizzie  resembled  each 
other. 

"  Walter's  mother  said,  '  I  asked  Walter  why  he 
didn't  bring  you  down  to  see  me,  and  he  said  you 
didn't  want  to  come.' 

"And  Minnie  replied,  'He  never  invited  me.' 

"  As  the  passengers  were  only  allowed  one  hour 
and  thirty  minutes  at  Seaside,  Minnie  and  the 
Learys  were  obliged  to  bid  Walter's  relatives  a 
hasty  adieu,  in  order  to  reach  the  boat  in  season 
for  Somerville.  They  all  wished  Minnie  could 
have  stayed  longer,  invited  her  to  make  them  a 
visit  and  write  to  them  occasionally,  and  Mrs. 
Sherman  accompanied  the  party  to  the  boat. 

"During  Minnie's  visit  to  Seaside  she  obtained 
the  following  information  from  Walter's  former 


22  riinnie  alrright's  experience. 

wife:  'You  cannot  imagine  what  I  suffered  from 
that  man.  He  would  come  home  drunk;  many 
are  the  beatings  I  have  received  from  him.  You 
did  just  right  to  leave  him  ;  he  beat  me,  starved 
me,  never  supported  me  —  I  was  obliged  to  take 
in  washing — and  then  he  would  take  my  earn- 
ings away  from  me.  We  had  a  sweet  little  boy, 
Johnny  ;  he  would  be  sixteen  if  he  were  living 
now.  One  night  when  Walter  came  home  drunk, 
seeing  Johnny  enjoying  a  swing,  he  told  him  to 
stop  swinging  ;  but,  because  the  little  boy  didn't 
mind  right  away,  he  yells,  "  I'll  make  you 
mind!"  —  at  the  same  time  kicking  him  in  the 
back,  so  that  he  fell  out  of  the  swing  unconscious. 
He  only  lived  a  few  days  and  died  from  a  broken 
back,  in  his  fourth  year.  I  never  lived  with  Wal- 
ter after  Johnny  died.' 

"  Minnie  spent  the  summer  canvassing  ;  and,  as 
she  had  the  sympathy  of  the  town,  everyone  was 
ready  to  help  her.  One  night  when  Minnie 
returned  from  her  work,  Mrs.  Leary  said,  '  Larkell 
is  here  and  wants  to  see  you.'  But  Minnie 
retired  early  that  evening,  refusing  to  see  him. 
The  next  morning  Walter  insisted  on  seeing 
Minnie.  They  met  at  the  breakfast  table, 
appeared  cordial,  and  took  a  walk  in  the  surround- 
ing country.     After  spending  the  day  together 


minnie  Albright's  experience. 


23 


Walter  took  the  train  for  Camden,  kissed  Minnie 
and  bade  her  a  most  affectionate  farewell,  saying, 
'  I  will  be  here  again  in  about  a  week,  and  take 
you  with  me  to  Camden,  where  we  will  board, 
and  be  happy  again.' 

"  Now,  as  Walter  had  frequently  said,  '  I  am 
not  going  to  support  any  woman  ;  my  wife  must 
abide  by  my  rules,  and  do  just  as  I  say,'  Minnie 
hadn't  any  faith  in  his  promises.  She  knew  full 
well,  if  he  intended  to  take  her  to  Camden,  he 
would  have  taken  her  with  him. 

"A  few  weeks  after  Walter's  visit  Minnie  went 
to  Camden,  called  where  her  husband  boarded, 
informed  the  landlady  she  was  Walter  Larkell's 
wife,  at  the  same  time  producing  her  marriage 
certificate  ;  but  the  woman  only  laughingly  said, 
'Why,  I  didn't  know  Larkell  was  married!  He 
has  gone  to  Red  Bank  to  visit  his  parents.'  And 
poor  Minnie  has  never  seen  or  heard  from  him 
since. 

"  Weary  and  disgusted  with  her  surroundings, 
her  money  all  gone,  and  also  nearly  all  the  valu- 
able articles  which  she  had  brought  with  her,  the 
poor  girl  grew  sick  with  despair.  At  last  one  true 
friend  was  raised  up,  who  got  the  charitable  people 
interested  in  the  case ;  a  collection  was  raised, 
and  Minnie  was  sent  to  her  dear  home  and  mother 
once  again. 


24 


Minnie  Albright's  experience. 


"  Now  all  the  trouble  which  befell  poor  Minnie 
was  brought  on  by  marrying  a  stranger  !  —  answer- 
ing an  advertisement! 

"Now,  dear  young  readers,  heed  my  advice; 
this  is  a  true  account  of  a  friend's  misfortune, 
Never  be  too  hasty  for  a  home  or  husband  ;  but 
know  thoroughly  the  character  and  family  of  the 
man  you  are  to  marry,  or  else,  like  poor  Minnie, 
you  will  make  a  perfect  wreck  of  your  life. 

"Therefore,  dear  children,  take  warning  from 
Minnie's  sad  fate,  follow  my  advice,  and  '  Look 
before  you  leap.'  " 

Aunt  Katie. 


